Discipline, Not Fitness, Behind England Women's Ashes Struggles, Says Head Coach Lewis

Discipline, not fitness, behind England women's Ashes struggles, says head coach Lewis (Image Source: IANS)

T20 World Cup: England Women’s head coach Jon Lewis has dismissed claims that fitness issues are to blame for his team’s underwhelming performance in the Women’s Ashes, pointing instead to Australia’s superior discipline and skill level in critical moments.

England trail 10-0 in points in the multi-format series after losing all three ODIs and the first two T20Is, with only the final T20I in Adelaide and the one-off day-night Test in Melbourne remaining. While the result has reignited fitness debates, Lewis insists the key differences lie elsewhere.

The fitness of England’s players has been a topic of discussion since their early exit in the T20 World Cup last October. Former England spinner Alex Hartley criticised the team's conditioning at the time, but Lewis firmly rejected these claims, both then and now.

“I would say Australia are a much more athletic team than us—more agile, faster, and at times more powerful,” Lewis was quoted by Sky Sports as saying. “But is that the reason we’re not winning cricket matches here? No. I think their discipline and skill level have been higher.”

Lewis acknowledged that cultural differences play a role in the athleticism gap between the two nations. “I walked from Bondi to Coogee the other Sunday morning, and pretty much the whole of Sydney’s eastern suburbs were out swimming, running, and walking. There’s a cultural difference between Australia and England,” he said.

However, he emphasised that athleticism isn’t the sole determinant of success. “We don’t need to run marathons. We need to be fit for purpose,” he stated, reinforcing the idea that the technical and mental aspects of the game have had a more significant impact on the series outcome.

Lewis believes that Australia’s ability to seize key moments has been the defining factor in the series.

“In 2023, we poked the bear a little bit,” Lewis said, referencing England’s spirited fightback to draw the Ashes 8-8 at home. “Australia have gone away and reset. The scoreline is bigger, but I don’t think the gap is.”

While the 10-0 scoreline suggests dominance, Lewis argued that England have been more competitive than the results indicate. “We won those critical moments last time, and they’ve turned them on their side in this series,” he explained.

Adding to England’s woes, Australian all-rounder Grace Harris taunted the tourists after her team’s six-run win in the rain-affected second T20I in Canberra. Harris declared that Australia wanted to “embarrass” England by sweeping the series 16-0.

While Lewis downplayed the taunt, the challenge ahead remains immense. Even if England win the remaining matches, they can only narrow the series deficit to 10-6.

Despite the disappointing results, Lewis remains optimistic about the future of his team, emphasizing that they are still in a developmental phase.

“This is a really hard tour to come and compete and win,” Lewis said. “They’re an exceptional team, playing on home soil, and have been world-beating for a long time. We’ve got a developing group of cricketers.”

Despite the disappointing results, Lewis remains optimistic about the future of his team, emphasizing that they are still in a developmental phase.

Article Source: IANS